Branch Families,
Dear Branch Families,
We are so thankful for another fun-filled month of learning, exploring, and adventuring with all our Branchers! Coming together for our Meet and Greets was such a fun day. Ms. Heather and I truly enjoyed our wonderful conversations, seeing your artistic talents, and getting to know you better. In the Branch room we’ve had a fantastic month celebrating thankfulness, friendships, and families!
We started the month by talking about our families and what makes each one special. To help the Branchers see this in a hands-on way, we used Unifix cubes to graph our families—dark blue for dad, red for mom, yellow for sister, and orange for brother. After selecting their cubes, each Brancher stacked them and compared their towers side-by-side. It was a simple but powerful reminder that every family is different. Not only was this activity fun, but it also reinforced math skills like counting, comparing, and measuring. Now, we hear our Branchers using these skills all day long!
Of course, no month would be complete without self-portraits—though this time, we added a fun twist! Using their Unifix cube family stacks for support, the Branchers crafted detailed family portraits. They thoughtfully considered each family member’s size, hair length, texture, and more. It was both heartwarming and entertaining to listen to them talk about their families as they worked.
Next, we shifted our focus to friends and friendships. This month, the Branchers have been loving “The Compliment Game!” The directions were simple: while sitting in our circle, each Brancher looked at the friend beside them and offered a compliment. We started by brainstorming what a compliment is, and agreed that: A compliment means saying something kind to a friend. As we played, each child had a chance to give and receive kind words, and we always ended with a reflection on how those compliments made our hearts feel. We played many rounds throughout the month, and the compliments have become noticeably more thoughtful! We now hear kind words exchanged all across the day. Learning empathy is such an important part of being a Brancher AND being a friend.
After practicing compliments and singing about kindness, we brainstormed other ways to show our friends we care. We incorporated this into a Helpful Hands art activity where each Brancher came up with 10 ways to be helpful or kind. We then traced their hands as a visual reminder of how to be helpful! Their answers ranged from funny to heartfelt, truly capturing the meaning of kindness and helpfulness.
After brainstorming some ideas, we decided it was time to show kindness in our classroom with Friendship bracelets! Beading is a beloved activity, and adding letter beads for these bracelets felt perfect. Each Brancher drew a name from a bucket and carefully selected the letter beads they needed. They then made a unique bracelet for that friend, incorporating their friend’s favorite colors and fun shapes. This activity combined letter recognition, fine motor skills, patterning, and—of course—friendship. Each bracelet turned out beautifully unique, and the pride that the Branchers feel while wearing them is priceless.
November is also our apple taste-testing and applesauce-making month! We sampled Opal, Honeycrisp, Lucy Rose, and Granny Smith apples. After tasting each one, the Branchers voted on their favorites. Granny Smith came out on top, but not by much! The final tally was:
• Granny Smith – 7
• Lucy Rose – 6
• Opal – 6
• Honeycrisp – 2
After sampling all four apple varieties, we combined them in the crock pot with cinnamon and water. The apples cooked all day, filling our classroom with the most delightful smell! In the afternoon, everyone enjoyed warm homemade applesauce, and the kids loved tasting the fruits of their labor!
December is approaching quickly! Since much of our gross motor development occurs outdoors, and because part of our philosophy is to experience play in all kinds of weather, we will continue to enjoy outdoor time every day. No matter the weather, we’ll play together! Please ensure your Brancher has the following items at school at all times:
- Snowsuit or snow pants
- Two pairs of gloves
- Hat
- Snow boots
Please label all items with your child’s name.
December will be filled with the sights, sounds, scents, and science of the season—and all the wonder it brings! Miss Gracen and Miss Heather December will be filled with the sights, sounds, scents, and science of the season—and all the wonder it brings!
Miss Gracen and Miss Heather
